Self-ventilating toilet



Oct. 27, 1936. J"A FRlEL 2,058,436

SELF VENTILATING TOILET Filed Dec e, 1955 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Y Patented oci. 27, ,1936.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SELF-VENTILATING TOILET James A. Friel, North Arlington, N. J. Application December 6, 1935, Serial No. 53,171 5 claims. (ci. 4,-2'13) `of sewer gases, etea, when the4 toilet is not in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a Ventilating system'for toilet bowls which is so arranged and incorporated in the toilet bowl structure as to be fully enclosed therein, without in the novel Ventilating system referred to, means for providing a large capacity of water supply for sealing the Ventilating passages, so as to assure both the efficiency of the seal as well asl its maintenance over long periods of non-use of the toilet; in other words providing assurance against breaking of the seal by evaporation of the water or similar causes; and, furthermore, the arrangement being such that conservation of the sealing water without waste upon breaking of the seal during a Ventilating operation is also assured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a water. seal arrangement for the Ventilating passages which, although served by a comparatively large voiume of water, nevertheless re` gases therethrough during a- Ventilating operation. y

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated', will be understood from thefollowing detailed description system according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3. is another fragmentary horizontal section, taken on lined-3 in Fig. l. Similar characters of reference are employed in the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts. y

Referring to the drawing, the reference char- 5 acter I indicates the complete body of the toilet, which is -usually cast as an integral structure, and is shaped interiorly to provide the upwardly open bowl chamber` 2, from which leads the siphonic discharge passage 3 which is connected l0 to the sewage collecting system. At its rear, the body I is narrowed down to form a Vertical housing 4 of reduced width, within which is arranged the operative elements of the Ventilating system.

Intermediate the bowl chamber 2 and housing l 15 l is formed a water intake chamber 5, with which communicates the water deliverycpipeor duct 6 leading from the usual Hush-tank (not shown). Arranged between the bowl interior and said Water intake chamber 5 is the water delivery pas- 20 sage or' port 1 for operatively delivering ushing water into the bowl interior. Extending around the upper marginal portions of the bowlchaniber 2 is an annular water passage 'I which alsol receives flushing water from intake/chamber 5, 25 when the bowl is flushed, and which serves to discharge cleansing water over theexposed interior sides-of the bowl. Also extending around .the upper marginal portions of the bowl chamber 2, above water passage 1, is an annular fume 30 vcollecting passage 8, having an annular intake mouth 9 coincident therewith which opens toward the bowl interior.

Provided in the upper interior of the housing portion 4 is a chamber I0, the bottom of which 35 is formed by a transverse horizontal partition I I.

lSaid chamber I0 is separated from the waterA intake chamber 5 by a transverse vertical partition I2. Formed in said bottom partition II is a water delivery duct or passage I3, the receiv- 40 ing end of which communicates with saidwater intake chamber 5, and the discharge end I4 of which opens upwardly into the interior of said chamber Ill at the bottom thereof. The lower portion of said chamber Ill provides a combined 45 reservoir and catch-basin for sealing water, having a capacity many, times exceeding the actual amount of water required for initial sealing, and consequently providing for a large reserve of v sealing water against loss thereofthroughevaporation or similar causes.

The reference character I5 indicates a`"li` shaped water seal element, having an internal duct or bore I6 of relatively small cross-sectional area which extends in communication between the fume collecting passage 8 surrounding bowl chamber 2 and the upper interior of chamber I9.

'Ihis U-shaped water-seal element I5 is formed integrally with the partitions II and I2, but is provided with an upwardly projecting discharge leg- I5' upstanding within chamber I0 with its discharge end above the maximum or highest level reached by reserve sealing water contained in the lower portion of said chamber I0. Provided in the bottom of its U-shaped formation, the exposed wall ofsaid water-seal element I5 is provided with a small orifice or port I1 communicating between the duct or bore I6 thereof and the lower vinterior, of said chamber I8. 'This orifice or port I1 is considerably smaller than duct or bore I6 in cross-sectional area. Within the upper interior of chamber I0, and disposed in opposition to but spaced fromthe discharge end of water-seal element I5, is a defiecting bailie I8. The provision of this bafiie I8 is desirable but is not` essential, and, when employed, serves to deflect water withdrawn from the water-seal element duct or bore I6 for gravitation into the combined reservoir and catch basin provided by the lower interior portion of chamber I8.

Formed in connection with a wall of said houstem.

Below fan housing chamber 22 is a motor c ompartment 24, the latter being separated from the former by a removable partition 25. Mounted within said compartment 24 is an electric motor 26, the shaft 21 of which extends upwardly yus throug'h a bearing 28 connected with partition 25, and thence into said fan housing chamber 22, being there connected in driving relation to an exhaust fan 29 of. any suitable type. Hingedly connected with body I, to extend over the open top of toilet bowl 2, is a seat member 38 of any suitable type, cooperative with which is a hinged cover 8I.- Suitably connected with the body I, so as to be actuated by pressure of weight 'on the seat member 30, when the toilet is in use, is any convenient form of electrical circuit make or break means 32, which controls the electrical energy serving circuit (not shown) by which the motor 26 is put in operation when the toilet is in use. This or equivalent electrical control of the motor maybe such as is well within the skill of an electrician to provide.

In operation, when the toilet bowl is in use, the

Aweight of the occupant upon seat member 30 will closethe circuit make and break means 32, thus serving operating current to the motor 28. Motor 28 thereupon actuates exhaust fan 29. When thus actuated, exhaust fan 29 initially .creates a strong suction effect within the fume venting passage I9 and within the upper interior of housing chamber I0. Owing to the comparatively small volume of water contained in the U-shaped passage I8 of water-seal element I 5; the suction eiect quickly withdraws the water from the latter, while the large reserve volume of water in the lower portion of the chamber I0 is substantially unaffected. As the water is discharged from passage or duct I6 of. the water-seal element I6, upon emission thereof from the discharge leg- I5',4,the same strikes the baille I8 and is quickly deflected by the latter so as to fall into the reservoir and catch basin provided by the lower interior of chamber I8. `Upon withdrawal of the water from the water-seal element I5, the passage I6 thereof is opened for communication between' the fume .collection passage 8 and fume venting passage I9 leading' from the upper end of chamber III. Since therefllling orifice or port I1 of water-seal element I5 is of relatively small area, the water is cleared from passage I6 faster than it'can enter through orice I1, and consequently during coritinued actuation of exhaust fan 29 said passage I6 is kept open to the iiow of fumes therethrough. Any fumes tending to rise in the bowl 2, because of the suction effect of the exhaust'fan 29 thus communicated to the collection passage 8, are sucked through the annular mouth 9 of the latter and are caused to flow through collection passage 8, and thence through open duct or passage I6 and upper portion of chamber I8 so as to be continuously vented through vent passage I9, and thereupon discharged byfexhaust fan 29 through the fume discharge passage 23 to the sewage collection system. I

After use and flushing of the toilet bowl, uponI removal of the weight of the occupantfrom seat member 98, the circuit make and break means 32 automatically interrupts the motor circuit, )theres by stopping operation of. exhaust fan 29, thus terminating its suctionv efl'ect upon venting passage I9 and upper interior of chamber I0. Upon such occurrence, the reserve sealing water, which is contained in the lower portion of said chamber I0, resupplies, through the intercommunicating orifice I1, the passage or duct I6 of water-seal element I5, thereby sealing off communication between the fume collection passage 8 and the sewage collecting system through connecting passage I9-23, and thus preventing any .back-How into and escape from the toilet bowl of fumes or gases from the sewage collecting system.

Any losses of reserve sealing water contained in`y y the reservoir and catch basin portion of chamber -III is replaced when ushing water is delivered to the bowl 2 throughl intake chamber 5, since the latter also communicates with the lower portion of said chamber I 0 through passage I3. Owing to the comparatively large volume of sealing water contained in the reservoir and catch basin portion of chamber I Il, which exceeds by many times the relatively small volume of water required to fill passage I6 of the water-seal element I5, there is little or no risk of breaking of the water-seal through evaporation or similar causes in the event of any relatively long interruption of the use of the toilet bowl. The arrangement providing a reserve of sealing water is attained`\,0

. by this invention without substantially increasing the weight and Avolume of water actually used Ifor sealing eifect'; in fact, thevolume of sealing water per se is reduced to a minimum, and con- -sequentlya seal is provided which is sufficiently sensitive and which quickly and easily responds to the fan suction effects so as to assure both quick initial breaking of the seal as well as maintenance of the required open condition of the flne discharging passages throughout a given-period,of use and occupation of the toilet bowl. Another advantageof the arrangement lies in the fact that sealing-water is not lost from the system each time the seal is broken, but being'.

discharged upon such occurrence back to the reservoir supply, is consequently usable over and over again.

In addition to the above-mentioned functional advantages, the novel arrangement and construction of self-Ventilating means according to my invention is such that the same is all self contained in the toilet bowl body in a very compact arrang ment without necessity for spoiling theneat symmetrical and more or less conventional appearance ofthe toilet structure as a whole, all of which is highly desirable considering the de-` mands for good and pleasing appearance as well as satisfactory functional operation which is required in modern toilet and bath-room facilities.

I am aware that' many changes could be made in the above described constructions, and that apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof; consequently it is intended that all matterv contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting Sense.

I claim:-

v1. In a toilet bowl structure for connection to a sewage collecting system and having a flushing y water' intake chamber and distributing meansv serving the bowl interior, a housing atithe rear of the bowl structure having a closed chamber in its upper end, the lower portion of saidhouslng chamber providing a reservoir and catch basin' for a reserve sealing water supply, means pro viding water communication between said intake chamber and said lower portion of said housing chamber, a waterfsealed fume passage means sewage collecting system, and an exhaust fan.

operative in the line of said latter passages.

2. In a toilet bowl structure for connection to a sewage collecting system and-having a flushing water intake chamber and distributing means serving thebowl interior, a housing at the' rear of the bowl structure having a closed chamber in its upper end, the lower portion of said housing chamberjproviding a reservoir and catch basin for a reserve sealing water supply, means pro'- viding water communication'between said intake chamber and said lower portion of said housing chamber, a water-sealed fume passage means having a dischargeend above the normal water level in said housing chamber reservoir and a small water intake orice leading thereinto from lsaid reserve sealing water supply, the toilet bowl having fume collection means'leadlng from its interior to the 'intake-end of said water-sealed fume passage means, means to provide fume f venting passages leading from the upper interior of said housing chamber .and discharging to the sewage collecting system, and an exhaust fan operative in the line of said latter passages, said housing having a segregated compartment in its lower portion, and an electricvmotor 'within said compartment for actuating said fan.

3. In a. toilet bowl structure for connection to a sewage collecting system and having a flushing water intake chamber and distributing means serving the bowl interior, a housing-at the rear ..3 of the bowl structure having a closed chamber at its upper end, the lower portion of said housing chamber providing a reservoir and catch basin for a reserve sealing water supply, meansY providing water communication between said innormal water level within said-housing chamber reservoir, said fume-intake passage means having a small water intake orice leading thereinto from said reserve sealing water supply, the toilet,

bowl having about its open marginal portion a fume collecting passage having an intake mouth open to the bowl interior, said fume collecting ingwateriritake chamber and distributing means4 -serving the bowl interior, a housing at the rear of the bowl structure having a closed chamber at its upper-end, the lower. portion of said housing chamber providing a reservoir and catch basin yfor a reserve sealing water supply, means providing water communication between said intake chamber and the bottom of said housing chamber, a U-shaped water-sealed fume intake passage means of comparatively small cross-sectional area, the discharge legof said passage means upstanding within said housing chamber with its discharge mouth terminating above the normal water level within ls'aid'housing chamber reservoir, said fume-intake passage means hav' ing a small water intake orifice leading thereinto 3 from said reserve sealing water supply, the toilet bowl having about its Aopen marginal portion a fume collecting passage having an intake mouth open to the bowl interior, said fume collecting passage communicating with the intake end of the fume-intake passage means, meansto pro- Avide 4fume venting passages leading from the ,upper interior of said housing chamber and dis- `charging to said sewage collecting system, and an exhaust fan operative in the line ofv said latter passages, said housing having a segregated compartment in its lower portion, and an elec.-

tric motor Within said compartment for actuating said fan.

5. In a toilet bowl structure for connection to a sewage collecting system and having a-flushf ing water intake chamber and distributing means serving` the bowl interior, ahousing at' the rear of the bowl structure having a closed.

Achamber at itsupper end, the -lower portion of said housing chamberproviding a reservoir and catch basin for 'a reservesealing water supply, means providing Water communication between said intake .chamber andthe bottom of said housing chamber, a U-shaped water-sealed elementproviding a fume-intake passage of comparatively small cross-sectional area having its discharge leg..upstanding within said housing chamber with its discharge mouth terminating above the normal water level withinsaid housing chamber, said water-sealed element having a small water intake orifice leading thereinto Y from. said reserve sealing water supply, the toilet bowl having' about its open marginal portion a fume collecting passage having an intake mouth open to the` bowl interior, said fume collecting passage communicating with the intake end of the fume-intake passage provided by said water-sealed element, means to provide fume venting passages leading fromv the upper interior of said housing chamber and discharging to said sewage collecting system. and an exhaust fan operative in the line of said latter passages,- said housing having a segregated compartment in its lower portion, an electric motor within said compartment for actuating said fan, a seat over the open upper end of the toilet bowl, and a motor circuit control means actuated by occupancy of said seat. Y

JAMES A. FRIEL. 

